Tube squeezer



March 5,1968 v.A.PErERsEN 3,371,823

TUBE SQUEEZER Filed Nav. 429. 196e United States Patent Oiice 3,371,823 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 3,371,823 TUBE SQUEEZER Vagn A. Petersen, 168 Hillside Ave., Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Nov. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 597,762 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-97) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The device encompasses a tube squeezer having a centr-al body with two removable end caps with a press lever pivotally mounted on the caps to permit pressing the tube as it is wound about the central body.

The invention consists in providing a press lever pivotally mounted on a wire frame which, in turn, has its end portions engaged with recessed bores and radial slots in the end members of the cylindrical body. The press lever extends the full width of collapsible tube and, by nger pressure is held against the surface of the collapsible tube as the cylindrical body is rotated, thereby ensuring that the collapsible tube will be evenly flattened parallel with the axis of the cylindrical body as the cylindrical body member is rotated.

More specifically, this invention relates to improvements in tube squeezers of the type disclosed in my Canadian Patent No. 698,364 in which the lower end of a collapsible tube, as for example a toothpaste tube or the like, is engaged by the device and, by rolling contact with the tube, the contents are easily and effectively dispensed in the quantities required while the tube is neatly rolled up.

In my Canadian Patent No. 698,364 the device included a cylindrical body, slotted to receive the lower sealed end of the collapsible tube and the cylindrical body was rolled, by means of end members, against the side of the tube to squeeze the contents towards the capped discharge opening and, by the rolling action, flatten the sides of the tube against each other while at the same time wrapping the flattened tube about the cylindrical body. This required that the hands be used t-o perform some of the work in squeezing the contents away from the lower end of the tube while, at the same time making sure that the flattened tube was rolled as tightly as possible about the cylindrical body.

The object of the invention is to provide a tube squeezer in which means are provided to evenly flatten a collapsible tube While the tube squeezer is being rolled, to dispense a measured amount of the contents.

A further object of the invention is to pr-ovide a pivoted press lever of a width approximately equal to the width of the collapsed tube, the press lever being disposed parallel with the axis of the cylindrical body member about which the flattened collapsible tube is wrapped.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tube squeezer formed of a few simple parts which can be assembled without the use of tools or fasteners.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical elevation of a collapsible tube with the tube squeezer of the present invention, shown partly in section, attached to the lower end of the tube.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section taken on the Aline 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partial vertical elevation of the assembly shown in FIGURE l showing the press lever in contact with the partially r-olled-up tube.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the tube squeezer by itself.

Referring to the drawings, the tube squeezer includes a spool member 5 similar to that disclosed in my Canadian Patent No. 698,364. The spool member 5 has a cylindrical body 6 and a pair of circular end caps 7. The cylindrical body 6 is provided with an open-sided axial recess 8 which extends fro-rn one end of the body to the other and is adapted to receive the pinched and sealed end end 9 of a collapsible tube 10. The edges 11 of the recess 8 are rounded so as not to cut the soft metal from which the tube 10 is manufactured and to facilitate Wrapping the tube about the cylindrical body at the start of use of the device. i

A wire frame 12 formed from a single length of wire bent in a single plane, has its end portions formed into opposing U shaped members 13 each having a short leg 14, a mid leg 15 and an outer leg 16 the legs 14 and 16 being parallel with each other and at right angles to the mid leg 15. A mid portion of the frame 12 between the U shaped members 13 is offset outwards from the U shaped members 13 to form a connecting bar 17 having a pair of end shoulders 18. The length of the legs 16 is such that, when the wire frame 12 is assembled on the spool member 5 the shoulders 13 will be located in planes parallel with the inner surfaces 19 of the end caps 7 and spaced slightly inwards therefrom.

The outer facing surfaces 20- of the end caps 7 are provided with a radial groove 21 within which the legs 14 of the wire frame 12 can slide to engage in the axial bores 22 in the end caps 7. The wire frame 12 is made with a slight inward set so that its end portions 13 have to be sprung apart to permit the legs 14 to engage in the axial bores 22 and permit the mid legs 15 to be clear of the radial grooves 21 so that the whole frame 12 can turn around the spool member 5 on the axis of the bores 22.

A press lever 23 preferably made of light weight metal or a plastic material is shaped generally in the form of a tapered wedge preferably rounded at its thick and thin longitudinal edges 24 and 25. The thick longitudinal edge 24 of the lever 23 is provided with a bore 26 parallel with the adjacent edge 24. A slot 27 extends inwards from the surface of the edge 24 of the lever 23 to meet the bore 26. The diameter of the bore 26 is such that, when i the lever 23 is fitted on the frame, as shown in FIGURE 4, it will rotate on the bar 17. The slot 27 has a width slightly less than the `diameter of the bore 25 so lthat the lips 28 of the slot are pressed apart when the slot is aligned with the bar 17 and the lever forced into pivotal engagement with the bar. The lips 28 of the slot spring back to their original position once the lever is engaged with the bar 17 and so prevents the lever fro-m being disengaged from the frame. The lever 23 is held in position `between the shoulders 18 and can be rotated on the ba-r 17 towards the cylindrical body 6.

In the operation of this invention one end cap 7 is removed from the tube squeezer and the pinched and sealed end 9 of a collapsible tube 10 is slid laterally into the axial Vrecess 8 of the cylindrical body 6. The end cap is then replaced.

When it is desired to expel a portion of the contents of the tube 10 the press lever 23 is held against the tube by finger pressure in the manner shown in FIGURE 3 and additional pressure is exerted to rotate the tube squeezer with respect to the tube 10 so that the contents at the bottom of the tube are pressed] upwards as the walls of the tube are collapsed against each other and wrapped about the cylindrical body 6.

The -diameter of the end caps is such that there is more than suicient space between the cylindrical body 6 and the large edge 24 of the press lever 23 to ensure that the whole length of the tube 10 can 'be collapsed and 3 wrapped about the cylindrical body and all of the contents expelled.

The finger pressure against the lever 23 and rotation of the tube squeezer can be controlled to permit a very small measured amount of the contents of the tube to be expelled and the pressure of the lever over the whole width of the collapsed tube ensures that none of the contents will remain between the walls of the tube as it is wrapped about itself on the cylindrical body 6 of the tube squeezer.

All of the various parts of the tube squeezer can be assembled or dismantled without the use of fasteners or tools and, once the contents of the tube have been completely used up, the collapsed tube can be quickly removed and replaced by a full tube.

I claim:

1. A dispensing device for use with a collapsible tube having a cap sealed end and a permanently sealed end, the sai-d device comprising a cylindrical body, a pair of end caps removably fitted on opposite ends of said cyo lindrical body, each of said end caps having an axial bore and a radial groove on the outer facing surface of the end caps extending from the said axial bores to the periphery of the end caps, a wire frame formed from a single length of wire, the end portions of the said wire frame being formed to spring fit in the axial bores and radial grooves of the said end caps, the intermediate portion of the said wire frame joining the said end portions being disposed parallel with the said cylindrical body portion and spaced beyond the periphery of said end caps, and a press lever pivotally mounted on the intermediate portion of the said wire frame and swingable towards the said cylindrical body between the said end caps.

2. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 1 in which the intermediate portion of said wire frame is offset outwardly from said cylindrical body portion to form a pair of shoulders parallel with the inner opposing surfaces of the said end caps.

3. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 1 in which the said press lever has a length only slightly less than the distance between the said end caps.

4. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 1 in which the said press lever has a bore extending longitudinally parallel with and adjacent to one edge thereof and a slot of less width than the bore extends outwards from the said bore to the said adjacent edge of the lever, the opposing faces of the said slot forming spring lips permitting the said lever to be sprung into pivotal engagement about the inter-mediate portion of the said spring frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 424,493 4/1890 Morris 242-754 1,626,409 4/1927 Gwinn 242'-75.4 1,935,457 1l/l933 McGuire 222-97 X 2,094,581 10/1937 IBundick et al. 242-75.4 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 315,66() 7/1929 `Great Britain.

536,530 12/1955 Italy.

574,115 3/1924 France.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner. 

